A Framework for Lean Implementation in IT Support Services (original) (raw)

Critical Success Factors for Implementing Lean Practices in It Support Services

International Journal for Quality Research, 2012

Many studies have been done to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) in for successful lean implementation in the manufacturing firms. But, till date, no systematic study has been done to identify the CSFs from the perspective of lean implementation in IT support service sector. This paper aims to address this area. A detailed literature review was undertaken to identify CSFs for lean implementation in manufacturing and services context and to consider their applicability to the IT support services sector. This paper is based on a conceptual discussion of CSFs as applied to the IT support services sector. The authors proposed a set of CSFs which is believed to be suitable for IT support service enterpri ses. The relevance of CSFs will need to be tested and qualitative research is needed to inform further work. The proposed CSFs are aimed at being useful to IT support services sector as a guideline, so as to ensure a positive outcome of the lean implementation process in IT su...

Lean philosophy and its applications in the service industry: a review of the current knowledge

This article presents an in-depth bibliographic study about the creation, principles, evolution, and practices of the lean philosophy oriented to the services sector. More than 70 papers about “lean thinking” – specially with focus on services – have been carefully reviewed. It presents the principles of lean service in an organized way, companies applying lean service, and best practices and tools in the implementation of lean service. It shows that lean service does not have a single or specific model of tools, practices or standards. In fact, it is a mix of tools and practices that must be applied according the situation found to be improved. Despite the lack of a standards and methodology for use in services, its best practices, inherited from manufacturing, when applied to services can generate large economic and financial results, as well as improvement of workers’ behavior. But, like any change process, this study shows that the application of lean in services also suffers resistance. There might be limitations when evaluating lean practices and principles to services, specially those that have not yet been well defined and reported. Other limitations are due to the scarce articles in the literature. However, this research showed that the use of the lean philosophy in services proved to be effective and quite worthwhile. Several cases analyzed presented significant gains and confirmed an increasing and promising future for service companies “thinking lean”.

Demystifying Lean IT: Conceptualization and Definition

Production companies have been implementing Lean Management successfully for a long time. Recently, interest grew to apply Lean Management also to service organizations like IT. However, previous investigations show that there is a need for a more sufficient conceptualization and definition of Lean Management of IT organizations (Lean IT). The study at hand reduces this gap. It draws on production and management research concepts and transfers them to IT organizations. The study defines Lean IT as a holistic management system based on philosophy, principles, and tools. Lean IT aims at systematic management of continuous improvement by reducing waste and variability as well as enhancing value and flexibility in all functions of an IT organization. The resulting conceptualization contains four dimensions of Lean IT: (1) Why it is implemented (objectives); (2) Where it is implemented (functions); (3) What is implemented (tools); and (4) How it is implemented (success factors).

Lean Management of IT Organizations: A Literature Review

Lean Management has been successfully applied by companies around the world, mainly in production/manufacturing functions. Recently, the interest to investigate a wider application of Lean Management especially in service functions increased. However, it is not clear how Lean Management can be applied to IT organizations. Therefore, this study aims to provide an overview on common characteristics and future research directions. A literature review on existing scholarly research from January 2004 to June 2014 is conducted. Using a database-driven search approach, a total of 1,206 research contributions are found of which 49 were identified as relevant. Results indicate a low theory grounding of mostly formulative and interpretative research items. This implies that research on Lean Management of IT organizations is still at its nascent state. Content-wise, five research themes emerge. The majority of research investigates IT organizations in a role to support Lean Management in production/manufacturing functions (determining “what to work on”), therefore more research on how Lean Management can be applied to IT organizations themselves (determining “how to work”) could be beneficial. Future research could also try to build on Change Management theories, as the implementation of Lean Management is of transformational character.

Challenges of lean thinking application in product-service system

2013

Lean thinking is claimed to be as important to services as it has been to manufacturing. However, there is yet a lack of empirical research examining the possibility of applying lean thinking in Product-Service System (PSS). This paper aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the challenges of applying lean thinking in PSS. To achieve this aim, twenty interviews were conducted with participants that have a good experience in lean implementation. Those participants are working in UK manufacturing companies that implement PSS. Also, a comprehensive review of the published literature was executed to achieve a depth understanding of the various challenges already identified by other researchers. The findings highlight a number of challenges that emerge during the application of lean thinking in PSS, among them: understanding of lean, limited communication and leadership, and defining waste.